Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Northern Mockingbird

  1. #1
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    7,533
    Threads
    2,043
    Thank You Posts

    Default Northern Mockingbird

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    I captured this image along Joe Overstreet Road in Kenansville, Florida. Comments and critique welcomed and appreciated. Thank you for viewing.

    Nikon D7000
    Nikon 80-400mm F/4.5-5.6 VRII AF-S ED HH
    1/2000 F/5.6 Matrix Metering EV 0 ISO 560 Auto WB, image captured at 400mm
    Post processed in Lightroom Classic, Photoshop CC 2020 and Neat Image for noise reduction when needed
    Cropped for composition and presentation
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

  2. #2
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,688
    Threads
    1,296
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Nice, clean and simple Joe and the banding BKG works, like the overall palette as the subject standout well. The rustic post has good detail and I don't mind it, others may as it's man made, but hey...

    Well done.

    TFS
    Steve
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  3. Thanks Joseph Przybyla thanked for this post
  4. #3
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Oct 2020
    Location
    Sahuarita, AZ
    Posts
    1,004
    Threads
    150
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    I really like the gradient BG and color. Bird looks sharp, nice as posted.

  5. Thanks Joseph Przybyla thanked for this post
  6. #4
    Forum Participant
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Location
    San Mateo, CA
    Posts
    3,643
    Threads
    398
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Graded BG is very nice, and the bird's alert pose is really sweet - love that curious look! Detail on the feet is awesome. Post is what it is....

  7. Thanks Joseph Przybyla thanked for this post
  8. #5
    Avian Moderator Brian Sump's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2020
    Location
    Golden, CO
    Posts
    2,658
    Threads
    230
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Joe, nicely done overall here.

    As mentioned, love the transitioning bkg color. Pose is good, gave you just enough HA. Bird looks sharp!

    If mine, I might give it a touch more oomph in the mids by adjusting the curves slider or adding a touch of blacks to neutrals but I know others might hold off.

    Also I sensed a touch of blue but couldn't trust my eyes so I imported to LR and took a gander. I normally am not one for placing a repost in someone's thread but I thought it might be worth a look (I reduced cyan a bit too as I noticed a little in the white in the wing and it took some from the sky):

    Name:  20150402Joe P repost-2.jpg
Views: 102
Size:  530.1 KB

  9. Thanks Joseph Przybyla thanked for this post
  10. #6
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    7,533
    Threads
    2,043
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hi Brian, thanks for taking the time to show how you would improve the image, your edit and repost look good. I agree that adding black to the midtones would most likely add ompppf but that also smothers fine detail in the midtones as too much contrast does. Every time I think about doing it I hear Steve whispering in my ear about how too much black, contrast and clarity smothers detail. I err on the conservative side. Regarding the cyan in the whites measuring them in LR they are slightly blue/cyan, as you mentioned. The question I struggle with is... should I make them white. Most time I don't know, so I leave it as captured figuring it was the light at the time the image was taken. Arash and I have conversed on this that pure white would be technically correct but maybe that was not how the light was when the image was captured. Thanks again for chiming in and doing the edit, the changes are subtle but look good. Stay healthy...
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

  11. #7
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,688
    Threads
    1,296
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Attached Images Attached Images
     
    Hi Joe FWIW, OK if we take the OP there is a slight coolness to the overall image, a hint of blue, so sampling say near the back of the back on the OP you get a Temp +1 and a Tint +3 this kills the coolness and brings a bit more 'warmth' overall, which way you then take it is personal, but that's your starting point for a neutral grey. For you, selectively reduce the blue say around 70%, gives the bill a natural look. Now if take the OP and address the Contrast & Black that LR adds in, I then can almost achieve what Brian has, but in mine it's subtle areas it's more open hard to see but it's there. The post is slo less green and the BKG a bit more ramped.


    Every time I think about doing it I hear Steve whispering in my ear about how too much black, contrast and clarity smothers detail. I err on the conservative side.
    OH dear am I that bad Joe... but there are reasons - one is because of LR as constanly mentioned, but also that Canon files are crap for blacks compared to Nikon who are much better, albeit the MK3, R5 & 6 are far better, you just need to be aware of both, less so for you, but control things is a good move. Heavy blacks & Contrast may visually look good to the naked eye, but invariably they are choked and when printed or supplied would be a disaster, plus do the subjects really look like that dense black, no, well not to my eye. The areas are made up of shades/tones of black & white and this also helps to get your tonal range to give your form & detail, but detail too.

    Keep up the hard work Joe, there is some nice stuff coming out.
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  12. Thanks Joseph Przybyla thanked for this post
  13. #8
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    7,533
    Threads
    2,043
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Kaluski View Post
    Hi Joe FWIW, OK if we take the OP there is a slight coolness to the overall image, a hint of blue, so sampling say near the back of the back on the OP you get a Temp +1 and a Tint +3 this kills the coolness and brings a bit more 'warmth' overall, which way you then take it is personal, but that's your starting point for a neutral grey. For you, selectively reduce the blue say around 70%, gives the bill a natural look. Now if take the OP and address the Contrast & Black that LR adds in, I then can almost achieve what Brian has, but in mine it's subtle areas it's more open hard to see but it's there. The post is slo less green and the BKG a bit more ramped.




    OH dear am I that bad Joe... but there are reasons - one is because of LR as constanly mentioned, but also that Canon files are crap for blacks compared to Nikon who are much better, albeit the MK3, R5 & 6 are far better, you just need to be aware of both, less so for you, but control things is a good move. Heavy blacks & Contrast may visually look good to the naked eye, but invariably they are choked and when printed or supplied would be a disaster, plus do the subjects really look like that dense black, no, well not to my eye. The areas are made up of shades/tones of black & white and this also helps to get your tonal range to give your form & detail, but detail too.

    Keep up the hard work Joe, there is some nice stuff coming out.
    Hi Steve, thanks for taking time to edit and explain I yours and Brian's edit there are changes but I struggle to see them unless I put the images side by side. I think Nikon's Auto WB and files are biased on the cool side and I think my tendency is to develop images on the cool side. I know when I check the RBG of the whites blue most times is stronger than the red and green. Lightroom was getting slammed by the critics that other software's imported images looked better and sharper. So in a recent version of LR they upped the contrast behind the scene and set the default sharpening to 40. Also the default in LR is to clip the blacks slightly. I agree with you that Adobe Color is crap. I get around that setting by setting the Picture Control in my camera to Camera Flat. When I import an image into LR the profile is set to Camera Flat instead of Adobe Color. It is a very flat looking image that I begin post processing on.

    Since you told me to watch the blacks and contrast I can see a difference in the fine detail. I am not having to sharpen as much trying to bring out the detail. Also anything the is clipped in the black has no detail just like white. Anyways, I am working on it, the changes mentioned above have helped a lot, much easier starting from a flat image and also not using Adobe Color as a profile. Keep pushing me, your in my head now.
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

  14. #9
    Wildlife Moderator Steve Kaluski's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Somewhere in the world
    Posts
    20,688
    Threads
    1,296
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Hey Joe, thanks for the reply, Nikon was definitely better for rich blacks, Canon’s were pretty poor in comparison, but slowly getting better. I think you should try Cloudy for WB in camera and use Adobe Standard for LR, it’s far less aggressive for the blacks & contrast and Adobe color should say ‘made for folk who can’t process’ but I don’t think it would sell.

    I’m really pleased to hear you are seeing and benefitting from reducing things, it makes, as you know so much of a difference, but sadly some folk choose a different route, that’s fine if you like that type of image, certainly hard to replicate when printed and overall not a desirable end result.

    All the best and as Brian would say - ‘keep reaching for the stars’
    Post Production: It’s ALL about what you do with the tools and not, which brand of tool you use.

  15. Thanks Joseph Przybyla thanked for this post
  16. #10
    BPN Member
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Lakeland, FL
    Posts
    7,533
    Threads
    2,043
    Thank You Posts

    Default

    Thanks everyone for viewing and commenting, much appreciated.
    Joe Przybyla

    "Sometimes I do get to places just as God is ready to have somebody click the shutter"... Ansel Adams

    www.amazinglight.smugmug.com

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Web Analytics